Southern Hospitality
by AthenaRowena
Summary: Bella Swan is a small town girl from Texas. Daughter of a well known horse trainer and champion horseback rider. She lives contently on her father's farm when the new barn help stirs up some intense feelings. Story is better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

**BPOV**

You know those cliché small towns with a population of about 200 and everyone knows everything about everyone? Well, that's home for me. I'm Bella Swan. I'm 19 years old and I live in a small town in northwest Texas with my dad Charlie Swan. We live on a 25 acre farm with 3 barns, a large farmhouse, acres of fields, a training ring, and a pool. The house was large enough for me, my dad, and the guys that worked for us as riders and ranch hands. My father had always been a good trainer and when my mom died when I was 12, he threw himself into his work; he became the best horse trainer in the southern U.S. I guess you could say I was tomboyish. I grew up surrounded by men, it was bound to happen. My mom managed to get some girlyness in me before she died. I wore clothing that was both comforting, and accentuating to my assets. I knew how to style my hair well, and would wear make-up if I was going out somewhere other than the barn. But as much as I was around the guys, I'd never had a real boyfriend. I'd fooled around with guys I'd met on the road during competitions, but none of them felt _right._ My dad just told me I was too good for them all.

I woke up at my usual 5:30am and quickly got dressed. I threw on a pair of faded skinny jeans and tucked them into my worn black 'cowgirl' boots. I pulled on a white tank top with a dark blue button up shirt over it with the bottom few buttons done up. I ran a brush through my hair until it was acceptable and headed downstairs where I could hear the guys eating.

"Morning Bells." The all called with mouths full of food.

"Morning boys." I said cheerily as a plate of eggs and toast was set in front of me.

"Thanks Emmett." He smiled down at me. Emmett was like my big brother. My dad found him sleeping in our barn when I was 7. He was 9 years old and had no parents. My mother had a soft spot for his dimples and big, brown eyes and we took him in. Once he turned 15, he offered to work for my dad to earn his stay. He was extremely protective of me and an excellent friend.

"So what are you up to today Jelly Belly?" Justin asked me, still shoveling food into his mouth.

"Well I thought I'd take Dallas out for a little after breakfast, then maybe work with Dakota for a while. That is if anyone is willing to lunge her for a little while first." I said, sweetly. Dallas was my own mare. She was a beautiful bay with a star on her forehead. **(A/N: For people who don't know horse lingo. Mare means female and bay means the horse is dark brown with black legs, mane, and tail. A star is a small white marking on their forehead.) **I'd raised Dallas from birth and trained her myself. She was 6 years old and already perfect. She'd won me many competitions. Dakota was Dallas's daughter. She was all black with the exception of a black stripe. **(White strip down their face) **

"I'll do it." Thomas said indifferently. He was one of the older workers at 35, and very experienced with horses.

"Thanks Tom." I said, smiling at him, which he returned.

"No problem Baby Bells." I frowned at the nickname he'd been calling me since I was 5 and he started working here. I quickly finished my breakfast and headed out to the main barn with Emmett, Thomas, and Carter. I helped them clean a few stalls before entering Dallas's stall to get her ready. I spent my time brushing her, frequently kissing her soft nose. I fastened the girth and did up the buckles of her bridle before leading her out. It was about 6:30 by then and the sun was completely up. I quickly mounted Dallas and kicked her forward into a brisk walk towards the trails in the woods. I had set up a small jumping course out of logs in the woods and I frequently chose to ride English to practice them. **(English means it has the smaller saddle with no horn and the rider jumps. Western in like the cowboys do it. Larger saddles with a deeper seat to hold the rider better and a horn on the front, mainly for ropes) **I urged her into a steady canter after a few minutes, making our way through the worn trails towards our course. After about an hour, I decided to head back. As we reached the edge of the woods, I urged Dallas into a full gallop towards the open fields. I loved the feeling of galloping. It made me feel so free to have all this power beneath me, at my command. I yelled out joyfully and Dallas joined me with a playful whinny. Once we got close to the barn, I slowed her down to a nice easy trot, then eased her to a walk, letting both our breathing return to normal and her cool down. After I untacked her, I brought her over to the wash stall and gave her a soothing sponge bath to relieve her sweaty fur. I unhooked her and lead her outside to let her graze on our acres of grass while she dried off. After another hour, she was completely dry with her coat shining. I led her to her field and let her go, closing the gate and watching her run off to greet the other horses. I reentered the barn to Dakota waiting for me. Thomas came in, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"She was a little antsy at first, but calmed down after about 10 minutes. I think she'll be pretty good today." He told me, stroking her shoulder. I smiled at the beautiful creature and softly rubbing over her nose.

"She's always good. Aren't you pretty girl?" I asked in my horse-talking voice. Thomas chuckled and walked off to water the fields. I began brushing Dakota, just like I did with her mother. I was brushing through her tail and talking softly.

"You're such a good girl Dakota. You'll be perfect, just like your mother. I know it."

"I'm sure she appreciates your pep talk." An unfamiliar voice startled me and I looked up to see a handsome man, who looked about my age, maybe a few years older. I walked over so I was level with Dakota's shoulder, and able to see him fully. He was tall and lean, but muscular at the same time. His skin was slightly tan, accenting his honey blonde hair. His plain white t-shirt showed his defined chest muscles and he had on blue jeans and worn work boots. I snapped out of my daze and looked at his face.

"Can I help you?" I asked, friendly.

"Um, yes. My name is Jasper Whitlock; I was hoping to find Charlie Swan. I'm looking for a job." For some reason, his accent was extremely attractive, even though I'd heard it a thousand times. I even had the same one.

"Bella Sawn." I said holding out my hand. He walked towards me and took my hand lightly. I felt a small shock when our hands connected.

"Good to meet you ma'am." He smiled a beautiful smile, with only one dimple, but it was adorable.

"Nice to meet you too." I said. Smiling back, I knew my smile was beautiful. Plenty of men had commented on it. I looked into his eyes and momentarily stopped breathing. They were gorgeous. Deep blue with specks of emerald green. I finally dropped my gaze and let go of his hand.

"Well, my daddy's out for a little while, but you're welcome to stick around and wait." I said, returning to Dakota to finish tacking her up.

"I think I'll do that, thanks." He said kindly. I finished on Dakota and led her out of the barn, noticing Jasper following me. I met Thomas and Emmett out in the training ring while Jasper stayed on the outside of the fence.

"You ready Bells? Who's the guy?" Emmett asked, eying Jasper.

"Jasper Whitlock. He's looking for a job. I told to wait for daddy to get home." I said as Thomas gave me a leg up onto Dakota. I sat still for a few seconds, letting her get used to my weight before urging her into a walk. She seemed calm, so I coaxed her into a steady trot. I noticed that every time we passed Dallas's field, she'd pick her head up a little and step more lightly. She was showing off for her mother. I smirked and urged her into an easy canter. I made sure she got her lead and continued to circle the training ring. She was doing well and I decided to end on a good note, so I eased her back to a walk and cooled her down.

"Looked good today Jelly Belly. Brush her up and put her back out with Dallas." Thomas instructed and walked off into one of our other barns where his horse Shadow was boarded. I dismounted and walked out of the ring with Emmett. That was one of his protective perks. He was always either in the ring, or very close by when I was training in case something went wrong or I got hurt. We exited the ring and brought Dakota back into the barn with Jasper following.

"Hey man, Emmett McCarty." Emmett introduced himself to Jasper.

"Jasper Whitlock." He responded, shaking Emmett's hand. Emmett was smiling, but I could tell by his eyes that he was looking over Jasper, checking him for any 'bad feelings' he might get from the guy. He was a main factor in the decision making when daddy hired someone new. He let go and helped me untack Dakota. When she was back out in the field, we headed towards the house and heard the sound of daddy's truck on the gravel driveway.


	2. Chapter 2

**JPOV**

I pulled my black pickup truck into a spot near the largest of the three barns at Silver Swan Farm. I hopped out and entered the barn, hoping to find Charlie Swan. I was in serious need of a job and somewhere to board my horse, Major. He was a regal looking horse. A beautiful black gelding with four black socks and a star. **(Gelding means a male horse that has been "fixed". Socks are when the horse has white on their legs.) **He was staying at a friend's farm while I looked for a job, but they could only keep him for so long. I walked in and a saw someone's head behind the tail of a young looking mare. I heard a girl's voice coming from behind the horse.

"You'll perfect. Just like your mother." Her voice was like the chiming of bells and I couldn't help myself.

"I'm sure she appreciates your pep talk." I said, chuckling slightly. Her head snapped up and she walked around to the horse's shoulder. I got a good look at her. Beautifully wavy, brown hair framing her beautiful, slightly tanned, heart shaped face. She had a petite, muscular body with gorgeous curves, wonderfully displayed by her simple jeans and button down shirt ensemble.

"Can I help you?" she asked nicely. I was suddenly nervous.

"Um yes, I'm Jasper Whitlock. I was hoping to find Charlie Swan; I'm looking for a job."

"Bella Swan." She said, holding out her hand. Oh, so she was his daughter I'd heard about. She seemed nice; hopefully her father had the same kindness. I took her hand lightly in mine and felt a small pulse run all the way up my arm when I touched her.

"Good to meet you ma'am." I said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you too." She returned my smile, which just added more to her natural beauty. I finally got a good look at her eyes. Stunning pools of emerald green with flecks of golden brown in them. I let go of her hand.

"Well, my daddy's out for a little while, but you're welcome to stick around and wait." She smiled again and turned to finish getting her horse ready.

"I think I'll do that. Thanks." I waited for her to finish tacking up the young horse and followed her out to their large training ring. There were two guys waiting for her. One was older looking, but looked like one of those guys who thoroughly enjoyed his simple life. The other one looked about my age with huge muscles and a friendly face. They spoke to Bella for a minute and I saw the big guy glance in my direction. They helped Bella off and she started the horse at a brisk walk. I could tell the horse was still in the midst of being trained just by the inconsistency of her steps and the way her eyes continued to look around frantically. Bella maintained control of the young mare the entire time. She was a beautiful rider. She had that raw natural ability that tons of pros would kill for. Her movements were graceful and strong. When she was finished, I heard the older guy tell her to brush her up and put her in the fields with 'Dallas'. I figured that was another horse. I also heard how he called her 'Jelly Belly' and laughed a little to myself. She dismounted and walked out of the ring with the big guy. Not really knowing what to do, I followed them back into the barn. The big guy approached me and held out his hand.

"Hey man, Emmett McCarty." He said, looking friendly enough.

"Jasper Whitlock." I said, shaking his hand. He and Bella untacked the horse and put her out. I followed them towards the large farmhouse when we heard a truck on the gravel driveway and saw a large green pickup headed towards the house. And older man who looked about 40 stepped out and I figured he must be Charlie from his resemblance to Bella. He saw us and paused, waiting for Bella to come meet him. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her. She ran to her father and hugged him.

"Morning daddy. This is Jasper Whitlock. He's looking for a job." She said, indicating me. He looked around her and reached out to shook my hand with I took firmly, not showing fear.

"Nice to meet you young man." He said, sounding intimidating, but I could sense his friendliness beneath it.

"You too sir." I said with and even voice.

"Now, now, none of this 'sir' I'm Charlie." He said, smiling. I couldn't help but smile back. His smile was just as contagious as his daughter's. "So tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm originally from a little town just outside of Dallas, but moved up here after high school. I was working at a farm a few towns over, but they went out of business after their son was severely hurt." Charlie nodded.

"So what kind of experience do you have?"

"Well, I've been riding since I could walk. I've done some competitions, mostly western style, but I've been taught English. I own a horse, Major who is being boarded at a friend's farm in the next town over. I'm good with horses; I have my own ways of calming them down. I'm also able to do handy work around here, and I'm generally good at getting along with people." I tried to explain myself without sounding to cocky, or too inexperienced. Charlie nodded once more and looked over my shoulder in a silent consulting with Bella and Emmett. Whatever they signaled him, he smiled and shook my hand once more.

"Welcome to Silver Swan Jasper." I smiled and shook his hand again.

"Thank you Charlie."

"It's no problem at all. I suppose you have your things with you?" I nodded; I'd pretty much been living out of my truck. "Alright, well I got some stuff to do here. Bells, Em, why don't you two take the trailer down to Jasper's friends place and pick up Major for him. When you get back, he can unpack. Emmett he'll be in the room next to yours." We all nodded and Charlie walked off into the house. Bella and Emmett led the way to one of their two-horse trailers and we hopped into the truck. Funnily enough, Bella drove while Emmett and I were squished nest to each other on the front bench seat. I told them the way to Peter and Charlotte's place which was only about an hour away. On the way, they told me about the everyday life of the farm. It sounded like a fun place to live and work. The other guys sounded laid back enough for me. Bella told me about her horses, Dallas and Dakota, while Emmett bragged that his own horse, Grizzly was the best. We'd already planned a race across the property tomorrow before we started our work. They both complimented me on Major when we picked him up. He was extremely well behaved, not one of those horses that are terrified of being in a trailer. On the way back, we joked and laughed, and they told me about Emmett's life with them. Bella's mother sounded like she'd been a wonderful woman. I could tell Bella held her kindness and her and Emmett seemed to have a fiercely strong relationship. I just hoped I'd fit in well at my new home.


	3. Chapter 3

**JPOV**

My first night at Silver Swan was rough. I kept worrying if Major was okay in his new setting and my thoughts were keeping me up. Well, my thoughts and Emmett's monstrous snores coming through the wall. I finally gave up on trying to sleep and just got dressed in some jeans, a green t-shirt, and my boots. It was around 5:15am and I heard some voices in the kitchen so I headed down. I recognized Thomas and Charlie, but had yet to meet the other guys.

"Mornin' Jasper." Tom said from his spot in front of the stove.

"Mornin'" I responded groggily.

"Jasper, these are some of the other guys." Charlie said "this is Justin, Cooper, and Felix." He gestured to four guys who looked a little older than me. "Emmett you already know and we're waiting on him, Derek, and Chris."

"Good to meet you." I said, sitting as Tom placed a huge plate of pancakes on the table.

"That your gelding out there?" Felix asked.

"Yeah, that's Major." I said, biting into my breakfast.

"He's a good looking horse." Cooper commented.

"Thank you."

"Morning boys." Bella came skipping into the kitchen in a variation of what she'd been wearing yesterday.

"Morning baby." Charlie greeted.

"Eat up Baby Bells." Tom chuckled as he put food in front of her.

"So Jasper, how'd you sleep?" she asked, turning her attention to me.

"Not so well. Emmett is quite the snorer." They all laughed.

"Yeah he is. But don't worry, you'll get used to it. It's become like my lullaby." Bella said with a smile.

"Speaking of the laze-ball. I need you to wake Em, Derek, Nick, and Chris." Charlie said smirking. Bella smiled mischievously and grabbed a big bucket from under the sink. She filled it with freezing water and disappeared up the stairs. We heard three simultaneous male yells, followed by the sounds of three doors slamming. Bella ran back into the kitchen, giggling wildly and hid behind Charlie in his chair. Loud footsteps came thundering down the stairs and three very wet young men ran into the kitchen. Dripping wet, they glared at Bella.

"Oh good." She said with a slight giggle. "You're up."

"You are sooo dead." Emmett growled.

"Kill me later. Get dressed; we have a race to have. And I am _really_ looking forward to kicking both your asses." She pointed to me and Emmett. Emmett went upstairs to change while Bella and I went to get the horses. Major seemed extremely relaxed in his new environment and was in a pleasant mood while I tacked him up. Dallas was a beautiful horse and I could tell the relationship between horse and rider was strong. I followed Bella and Emmett out to a large field and we set the start and finish lines. The race was over quickly and as she'd predicted, Bella won. The similarities between Bella and Dallas were uncannily funny. When they won, Bella smirked and flicked her hair over her shoulder while Dallas whinnied, tossed her head, and swished her tail. They trotted off, leaving me, Emmett, and our horses sighing in defeat.

**BPOV**

Once I finished with Dallas, I went into the house to get ready to go swimming. I threw on my dark blue bikini and a pair of jean shorts. I grabbed a towel and headed down to get a bottle of water from the kitchen. When I walked in, Jasper was looking at the newspaper.

"Hey Jasper." I said cheerily.

"Hey Bell- oh good lord." He swore when he looked up and saw what I had on. I smirked as he stared openly at me. Okay, so maybe I was flaunting a little. But the boy is hot, can you blame me? I turned to the fridge and grabbed a water and walked towards the door.

"Feel free to join me." I said coyly over my shoulder before exiting the house. I made my way to the pool where I could already see Derek and Emmett sitting at the edge with their feet in. I put my towel down and snuck up behind them. Emmett was too big to push, so I went for Derek. I pushed his back and watched as he went flailing into the water. Emmett and I were rolling with laughter when he came back up, looking around frantically.

"How's the water Der?" I asked innocently.

"Okay, that's twice today you've gotten me wet without my permission. You're going down little missy." He said, jumping out of the water and chasing after me. I squealed and began running from him, but he caught me easily being the fastest at the farm. He slung me over his shoulder and I alternated between kicking his chest and smacking his back while he carried me towards the pool. He simply lifted me over the water and dropped me, making a huge splash. I stayed under for a few seconds, loving the coolness of the water. When I came back up, Derek was smiling victoriously next to a very amused Emmett. I gave Derek a look which he immediately understood and snuck over to Emmett, casual hanging on his legs as they dangled in the water. Derek slowly and carefully got up and walked behind him. He gave me a silent count of three and I pulled his arms as Derek pushed, successful getting him in the water. Derek and I high fived and Emmett laughed at himself.

"Good one guys." He said sarcastically.

"You know Emmett, drowned rat is a good look for you." He looked up to see Jasper smirking at Emmett's current appearance. I however, focused on everything below his face. He didn't have a shirt on, displaying his oh so lovely abs and lightly tanned skin. I had never seen anyone look as good in board shorts as that boy did and it took all I had to look away.

"Jasper, be a doll and help me out." I said, batting my eyelashes.

"Nice try Bella." He said, walking away from where I was hanging on the side of the pool. I unleashed my pout on him and I could see his resolve instantly weaken just like it did to every other guy. He sighed and came over to me and reached out his hand. I raised myself up to whisper in his ear.

"You are so easy." And I fell back towards the water, bringing him with me. We came up, me smiling hugely, him trying to hide his smile. I playfully jumped on his back.

"Don't worry." I whispered, "Easy is good on you." I kissed his cheek before getting off him, getting out, lying on my towel, and bathing in the sun.


	4. Chapter 4

**JPOV**

I knew what Bella was doing, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. We went back and forth for weeks with playful flirting, innocent yet teasing touches, and other forms of pleasurable torture. I walked into the kitchen and found Emmett and Cooper talking while Bella was on the phone. She let out a girlish squeal and Cooper flinched.

"Who's she talking to?" I asked, joining them at the table.

"Edward Cullen. He's one of her boy toys." Emmett grimaced and I fought to keep the look of jealousy off my face. "He's a pretty cool guy; I just don't like her fooling around with guys, especially when she barely sees them. He's not the worst one either." There were more?! "His friend James is a genuine ass and for some reason Bella likes him."

"What are you boys talking about?" Bella asked, hanging up the phone.

"You." Emmett said bluntly.

"Ooh, anything good?" she asked with a smile.

"Only the best." He said with his own cheeky grin. "So how's Eddie doing?"

"Good. And don't call him that. He and James are stopping here on their way to Demetri's." Both of them?! "I can't wait to hear about this girl Edward's been seeing." I breathed a silent sigh of relief, before realizing that it just left the ass for her to fool around with.

"Cool. When they comin'?" Cooper asked.

"They'll be here tomorrow and they're stayin' overnight at that new hotel on main street."

"Well that'll be fun." Emmett said, playfully wiggling his eyebrows. Bella blushed and smacked his arm, but I didn't miss the way her eyes shifted to me. I kept my face calm with much work. Bella was quiet the rest of the day. At dinner she spoke animatedly, but avoided my gaze. I went to bed disappointed. We'd been making progress and then this Edward guy calls and she gets all awkward.

I woke up at the usual time and ate my breakfast with the guys. They said that Bella had been up for hours and was already out in the barn. I sped through my food and put on my boots, hoping to get to talk to Bella alone. When I walked into the barn she was sitting against the wall glaring at a saddle.

"Bella? You okay?" I asked, standing in front of her.

"No. Emmett left his fucking saddle out and I tripped over it and hit that wood beam." I held my hand out and she took it. I lifted her with ease and she put her hand on her side.

"Come on, let's take care of that." We walked back into the kitchen and the guys were gone. I grabbed her hips and lifted her into the counter, trying not to think about the fact that I was standing between her legs. I noticed she'd gotten a little paler and was trying to breathe deeply.

"Alright, let's see the damage." I said. She lifted her shirt just enough to reveal a cut above her hip. I grabbed a towel and soaked it with warm water. I gently dabbed at the cut and she hissed. I apologized and continued even more gently. I suddenly felt her head fall against my shoulder.

"You alright darlin'?"

"Yeah. Blood just makes me a little light headed." She said softly. I grabbed a square of gauze and placed it over the cut, securing it with medical tape.

"There you go. Good as new." I said, noticing the color returning to her cheeks.

"Thanks." She said, but made no attempt to move. My hands were resting on her hips and I took a step closer to her. Her beautiful eyes looked into mine and I felt my face leaning towards hers.

"Honey! We're home!" a voice I didn't recognize called from the front door. Bella squealed and I moved, allowed her to jump from the counter and literally jump into some other guy's arms. I tried not to look too defeated as Bella hugged another guy that appeared and turned back towards me.

"Jasper, this is Edward Cullen and James Bailey. Guys this is Jasper Whitlock, he started working her about a month ago." I mustered up my best lazy smirk and shook both their hands. Edward was shorter than me with weird reddish hair and green eyes that almost matched Bella's. James was about my height with long dark blonde hair tied in a low ponytail and steel grey eyes. Just like Emmett has said, Edward seemed pretty laid back, but James definitely gave off the 'ass' vibe. Plus Edward had a girlfriend now; I didn't have to worry about him screwing Bella.

"Good to meet you. I'll see you later Bella. I gotta get to work." I nodded at the guys and walked out the door to the barn where I found Emmett and Justin.

"I see the truck. I take it you met boy toy and ass face." Emmett said. I nodded silently with a scowl on my face.

"Don't worry about it Jazz. It's one night, and then they're gone for another ten or so months." Justin said, trying to make me feel better. The guys had caught on to my feelings for Bella by the third day I was here. I was mainly afraid of Emmett, him being like her big brother, but he said he'd rather it be me than any of the other assholes she fools around with.

"Whatever." I said softly and threw myself into the day's work. Occasionally I'd see Bella with Edward and James. Sometimes she'd be on one of their backs, other times they'd be carrying her bridal style, and she was always kissing them. Cheeks, lips and necks in James' case. Every time I saw them, I'd just head in the other direction.

**BPOV**

"So, Edward, tell me about this little 'pixie' you've been seeing." I said from my spot on James' back. Edward laughed at the reference James had taught me.

"Her name is Alice Brandon. Yes, she's very tiny and pixie-like. But she's cool. You'd like her Bells. She very hyper and outgoing and loves to shop." His eyes glazed over when he talked about her and I was happy he'd found someone. I looked up and locked eyes with Jasper, but just for a second, because he turned and walked back into the barn. I sighed. Everything had been going just dandy with our casual, fun flirting and then he just starts ignoring me.

After dinner, Edward headed back to the hotel to talk to Alice and get some sleep. Some of the guys went into to town to go to the local bar leaving Emmett, Derek, Jasper, James, and me at home. Daddy was out of town for a few days looking at some new horses. After a while, James suggested we go back to his room at the hotel. Who was I to refuse? I was wound up tight from not getting any for a few months and I had a hot, willing guy. I bid the others good bye and we drove back to the hotel while I tried to get Jasper's cold expression out of my head.

When James kissed me, I kissed him back with all my frustration and need. The man had a way with his hands that could make even Jack Frost melt and it wasn't long before I was lying beneath him in my jeans and bra, panting heavily as his lips attacked my neck and his hands ran up and down my sides. When his lips returned to mine, something was off, something was missing.

"James what's wrong?" He chuckled breathlessly and sat up.

"You don't see it do you?" I looked at him, wrinkling my eyebrows in confusion. "You and Jasper Bells."

"What about me and Jasper?" I asked, angry that he was being brought up when I should be screaming under James right now.

"He's crazy about you Bella. And you like him two."

"What are you talking about? There's nothing between me and Jasper, trust me."

"Oh come on. You didn't notice the way he was looking at you all day and through dinner. Come on Bells, the guy was heartbroken that you weren't paying attention to him. You should have seen his face when we first walked in today."

"How do yo-"

"I may be an ass Bells, but I _do_ notice things. And Jasper likes you. And I know you're all about fooling around, no strings attached, but I can't do that to you. You like this guy, even if you don't realize it yet. Which s why we shouldn't do this." I sighed angrily and sat up.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked, yanking my shirt back over my head and pulling on my boots.

"No. Go talk to him Bella." I glared at James before slamming his door behind me. I made the short journey home on foot and went to the barn so I could think alone and _not_ have to talk to Jasper. Apparently the Fates hate me because of course, who's in the barn, leaning against his horse's stall drinking a beer and looking undeniably sexy. Why Jasper of course. He looked up as I stomped in and I glared at him. He looked shocked at my anger towards him. I continued to glare at him from my spot across from him at Dallas's stall. He put his beer down.

**JPOV**

"Did I do something?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes Jasper, as a matter of fact you did." Bella snapped.

"Care to fill me in?" I said calmly with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well let's see, what did you do? Oh yeah, you totally ruined my night."

"And how exactly did I do that? I thought you were with James." She huffed and stepped towards me.

"I haven't had sex in 4 months and you ruined my chances of that tonight and now I won't see James for at least another 6 months." I was shocked at her bluntness. And a little angry.

"And I ruined your chances how? I don't recall being in the room with you two." I said bitterly.

"Because you had to look all sad today. James wouldn't screw me because he thought you liked me!" Now I was mad.

"Well I'm sorry James wouldn't fuck you tonight. Judging by your bitchiness right now I'd say he made the right decision!" She stepped forward and smacked me.

"This is all your fault! Why do you have to be here?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I work here. Why are you always near me? Why do you constantly have to be around me, teasing me, torturing, making me want you when I know you've got some guys that you fuck for fun!"

"I hate you." She growled lowly, glaring at me, her eyes on fire. I couldn't help myself. I grabbed her face and crashed my lips to hers passionately. She pulled away from me quickly, both of us breathing heavily and stared into my eyes. Next thing I know, she grabbed my shirt and pulled my lips back down to hers roughly. I couldn't help the moan that escaped me as our tongues met, fighting angrily for dominance. She let go of my shirt and her hands ran up my chest and around my neck. I grabbed her hips, pulling them to mine and swallowed her moan. We kept walking backwards until I had her pinned against the wall. We broke apart and my lips immediately went to her neck, savoring the taste of the skin I'd longed to kiss. She moaned again. I moved my lips directly below her ear and she hissed. I smirked, delighted to have found her sensitive spot and get such a reaction from her. I took her ear lobe between my teeth, nibbling it gently, causing her hips to buck against mine, and making me momentarily dazed at the feeling of the friction it caused. She pulled my face back to hers and I seriously thought I'd go crazy from the taste of her. She rolled her hips against mine and couldn't help myself.

"Fuck." I hissed and grabbed behind her knee, bringing her leg up around my hip. I could feel the heat from her core through our jeans and ground my arousal against it. Her head fell back with her mouth hanging open.

"Holy shit Jasper." She whispered. I did it again and she let out a quiet scream. That little noise seemed to alert the horses and they started whinnying in curiosity. Their sounds shook me and Bella from our passion induced daze and we broke apart, panting heavily. Neither of us could keep from smirking and I pulled her in for one more kiss. It was slower and sweeter than before and I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist. She pulled away and leaned her forehead against mine, smiling up at me with her eyes sparkling.

"Still hate me?" I asked sarcastically, yet still a little worried.

"Definitely not. Never did." She said breathlessly. I smiled and she grabbed my hand, walking back towards the house.


	5. Chapter 5

**JPOV**

Bella must have found a joy in torturing me for the morning after our encounter in the barn she came down for breakfast in her tiny blue bikini and jean shorts. I had no idea jeans could look so unbelievably sexy on anyone. She caught my eye as she walked in a winked with a small smirk.

"Morning boys, morning daddy." She said innocently, sitting down between Charlie and Emmett, digging into her eggs.

"Morning Bells." Everyone replied simultaneously.

"I was gonna go for a dip if anyone wanted to join me." She said, sending another mischievous smirk in my direction. A couple of the guys including me agreed. I knew it would be torture to no end, but I couldn't keep away. I pulled on a pair of black board shorts and grabbed my sunglasses and a water bottle before heading out to the pool where Bella was already in the water with Emmett, Justin, and Cooper. I could feel her eyes on me as I put my things down and slid into the cool water.

"So Bells, how was your visit with the boy toys last night?" Justin asked, all three guys sent a glance in my direction, thinking they'd get a rise out of me. I stood there, basking in my smug knowledge of what had really taken place last night.

"Uneventful." Bella said flatly. All three of them raised their eyebrows.

"You mean you _didn't_ want to sleep with him? Bells, you really expect us to believe that? C'mon, we've heard it all before, no reason to be embarrassed." Cooper teased.

"I'm serious. Nothing happened." _With James, _I added as my own after thought. Again, all three guys looked at me as Bella got out and lay down on her chair. I shrugged, trying my best not to give anything away, but that damn smirk fought its way onto my face as Bella met my gaze. Both Cooper's and Justin's eye widened with realization, followed by Emmett's who took a little longer to pick up on what was going on. The three of them just kept looking back and forth between us, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"Boys, it's really not polite to stare. And close your mouths, you'll catch flies!" Bella teasingly scolded them, winking at me in the process, my smirk turned into a full smile as three mouths snapped shut.

"You two?" Emmett choked out.

"What about us Emmett?" Bella asked innocently. None of them could form words, they all just motioned between us as Bella and I laughed at them.

"You…you know." Justin said, sounding like a little kid afraid to say sex.

"No. We did not have _sex_." Bella said, emphasizing on sex and making them flinch. "And even if we did, it's not like it's a big deal."

"But…but…" Emmett still could not speak. Cooper seemed to be the only mature one out of the three of them.

"We just didn't think it would happen that fast, and so suddenly. That's all. We're happy for you two, honestly, just surprised." He said with a small smile.

"Thanks guys." I said, and pulled myself out of the pool. "I gotta go give Major a work out. See you guys later." I shot a wink at Bella and headed inside to change. I pulled on my jeans and boots with a plain blue t-shirt and walked out to the barn where Major was finishing his breakfast. I tacked him up quickly and we headed towards the woods where Bella had shown me the trails she'd made. We worked our may up to a steady canter wandering lazily through the trees. I heard another set of hooves after about an hour and turned to see Bella and Dallas heading towards us.

"Want some company?" she asked with a smile.

"If it's yours, then hell yes." I replied with a smirk. We continued on our way through the woods, talking about random things, and sometimes just enjoying the silence and sounds of our horses. We finally started heading back to the barn to be back in time for lunch and we spent our time untacking with little stolen kissing between our horses. We put them out in the field before heading inside where Derek had just finished making a huge amount of mac and cheese and hot dogs. I sat next to Bella and she immediately grabbed my hand under the table, lacing our fingers together.

**BPOV**

I sat between Jasper and daddy and instantly went to grab Jasper's hand under the table, hiding it from daddy. Though I had no secrets from him, and he knew what I did with Edward and James, I'd never had anything going on with a guy who worked at our farm and I didn't know how daddy would take that.

"So Charlie, find any goods specimens on your hunt?" Emmett asked and daddy chuckled at his choice of words.

"Yes Emmett, there were a few fine creatures that should be here soon. And while I'm thinking of it, the Hampton Classic is coming up in about a month. Any takers?" I thought about it. The Hampton Classic was a big horse show, and a huge deal. I'd been competing in it ever since I could sit on a horse with a lead line. Dallas and I usually made a good winning, getting firsts the last few years we went. And believe me; at a place like the Hampton Classic, get first is like learning how to live on the moon without a space suit.

"I'll do it daddy. Me and Dallas will obviously be in the Wolffer Estate Equitation Championship **(Equitation means the competition is based on how good the rider is and how he/she handles their horse)**, and I want to sign Dakota up for the Junior Jumper." I said, feeling good about entering Dakota in her first big time show.

"Alright, anyone else? Emmett you and Grizzly did well last year, wanna try again?" Daddy asked.

"Nah, I already got my ass kicked by Bella too many times. I'll just go and help her and anyone else out." Daddy nodded.

"I'll give it a shot Charlie." Jasper said from next to me, "Me and Major will try our hand at the Open Jumper."

"Alright, let me go grab the forms." Daddy said, getting up from the table and returning a few minutes later with the sign up forms. "Jasper, does Major have a show name or are you keeping it 'Major'?" **(Show names are the formal names you give a horse when competing in a show) **

"No, his is 'Major Whitlock'." He said with a smile. Daddy wrote it down.

"Alright, and Bells you wanna keep 'Southern Belle' for Dallas?"

"Yup, and I was thinking 'Stars and Stripes' for Dakota as a combination of her and Dallas's facial markings." Daddy smiled and wrote them both down before continuing to write down the rest of the information.

"Alright, then I'll need to start training with you too to get you guys ready." Jasper and I nodded. "Anyone else before I mail the forms and money?" No one else volunteered except for Cooper and Derek to come and help. Thomas always stayed behind to stake daddy's place unless he was absolutely needed with us. The rest of the guys would stay behind and take care of the farm with him.

After lunch, we all got to work on feeding, mucking the stalls, and a few of the guys went out to drag the rings and fields **(Mucking is cleaning out the stalls and dragging the field means to make the ground even.)**. I lucked out and only had to give the horses inside their hay, grain, and water. I was one of the first ones done and ran inside to shower and wrap Thomas's gift. It was his birthday and it was my job to make his big birthday dinner. I showered quickly and pulled on an emerald green, halter sundress that came to just above my knees and some white wedge heels. I left a note on the kitchen counter telling the guys to dress somewhat nicely. I went to work making the grilled chicken using my mom's old recipe that everyone love. I made some corn and baked potatoes to go along with it. Jasper was one of the first guys ready and walked up behind me, startling me with a soft kiss on the back of my neck. I jumped and spun to see him looking gorgeous in his simple ensemble of jeans and a dark blue button down shirt.

"Need any help darlin'?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, could you start setting the table out on the back porch?" he nodded and grabbed some plates and silverware and with another quick peck on the lips he was gone. It was tradition in the Swan household that all birthday and holiday dinners were eaten out on our large back, screened in porch. We had a huge table out there with little lanterns lighting it in the dark. Eventually the rest of the guys came down and helped me bring the food out to Thomas who was already seated in the honorary birthday seat at the head of the table. He got served first, and then everything was passed around in a flurry of hands, then silence as everyone stuffed their faces. Again I held Jasper's hand under the table, occasionally giving it and affectionate squeeze which he always returned. His thumb began tracing small circled over the back of my hand and I sighed contently, catching his smile out of the corner of my eye. After dinner, daddy ran inside to grab the huge cake, which we always purchased from the amazing bakery in on Main Street. After the cake was demolished, Thomas opened his gifts, which were mostly things he'd need around the barn, with a few gag gifts thrown in. He was smiling brightly the entire night and we all sat on the porch for hours after everything was cleaned up just talking about anything that crossed out minds. Daddy went to bed first, after which I migrated to Jasper's lap with his arms circled around my waist as I leaned against his shoulder and he played with a little strand of my hair. I noticed Thomas watching us with a smile on his face and smiled back at him, which was returned by a wink. Little by little the guys started going inside. I had begun yawning every other minute and decided to call it a night. I gave Jasper a goodnight kiss, which he turned into a sweet, slow kiss that had me tingling. I hopped off his lap, leaving him to continue his conversation with Emmett and Thomas.


	6. Chapter 6

**JPOV**

Bella was perched in my lap after Charlie went to sleep and after a while, announced she was turning in herself. She dropped a peck on my lips which I couldn't help turning it into a sweet kiss that I could see left her dazed for a second. She hopped off of me and retreated into the house, leaving me with Thomas and Emmett. We continued to discuss any random thing that came to mind until Thomas sighed and stood up.

"Well, I'm gonna head on up to bed. Thanks again for the gifts guys. See you in the morning."

"Night Thomas." We both said simultaneously. He disappeared into the house and then there was silence. Emmett took a sip of his beer and looked out over the fields.

"Jasper." He said, still looking into the darkness.

"Yeah Emmett?" Now he turned to face me and his expression was uncharacteristically serious.

"Look, I know you're a good guy but I feel like I have to say this." I already knew exactly what he was gonna say.

"Emmett, don't worry. I don't need the big brother 'hurt my sister and I'll kill you' speech." I assured him with a small smile.

"I know, just let me get this out." I nodded for him to continue. "Bella is the most important person in my life. She and Charlie are the only family I've ever really had, along with Renee obviously. I couldn't even begin to imagine what I'd do if anything happened to either of them. I feel the need to constantly be near Bella, making sure she's safe and taken care of. That's the main reason I hated seeing her with James and Edward, they were okay guys, but I never felt like they could protect her. I know this seems like a bit much, but I want you to understand exactly how much Bella means to me."

"Emmett, I get it. I understand how protective you are of Bella and I'm not expecting you to just stop. But just know that I'm here too, and I promise to keep her safe. I don't want to see her hurt anymore than you do. Trust me." He nodded thoughtfully.

"Okay. I trust you. But just know, if you _ever_ cause her any pain, I won't go easy on you because you're my friend." He said menacingly, he was scary, I'd admit that. I nodded and he smiled his usual child-like smile. "Sorry, that was a little much." He chuckled.

"No problem." I said with my own small laugh.

"Alright then. I'm gonna get to bed. See you in the morning." he rose, grabbing his empty beer bottle and walking back inside. I sighed, taking a sip of my own beer, looking out over the yard like Emmett had been. I understood where he was coming from. He'd never had a real family before the Swans and it was clear how incredibly important they were to him. His protectiveness of Bella was expected and I felt the same. I didn't want to see Bella hurt, ever. With one last swig of my drink, I stood and walked into the kitchen to throw the bottle away. I turned and saw Bella with her back to me, standing in front of the open refrigerator. She turned at the sound of my footsteps and smiled when she saw it was me.

"I thought you were going to sleep." I said with a fake accusatory tone, gesturing to the tank top and boy shorts she'd changed into, not that I was complaining about her attire. She smiled and held up a glass of water.

"I got thirsty." She hopped up on the counter and I walked over to stand in front of her. "So, how was Emmett's big brother speech?" I looked at her surprised and she laughed at my expression. "Come on, it's Emmett, the Protector himself. He had to have said something along the lines of 'keep her safe or I'll kill you slowly and painfully'." She imitated Emmett's deep voice, puffing out her chest in an entertaining way. I just watched her for a minute with an amused expression.

"Not exactly." I chuckled. "But it was a big brother speech. Not too cliché though, don't worry." I said with a smirk.

"Good." She said, leaning over to place a quick peck on my lips. "Well, good night." She said, moving to hop off the counter.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so fast." I said, grabbing her hips to keep her in place. My lips met mine in a sweet kiss, the taste of her making me see stars. I felt her smile against my lips as her arms slid around my neck, pulling me closer to her. We broke apart to breathe and I leaned my forehead against hers. I placed one more light kiss on her nose and backed up.

"We should get to bed." I said, helping her down. She nodded, finishing off her water and putting her glass in the sink. She grabbed my hand, pulling me back to her for one last sensual kiss before retreating upstairs. I smiled after her, heading down the hall to my room, Emmett's snores growing increasingly louder. I slid my shoes off and pulled my shirt and jeans off, collapsing onto my bed, asleep within minutes.

**BPOV**

I woke up to the sound of the guys down in the kitchen and quickly hopped out of bed, climbing into my shower. One of the perks of being the only girl in the house: my own en suite bathroom. I took a fast shower; blow dried my hair and pulled on some jeans and an emerald green tank top. I pulled my boots on and flitted down the stairs. I took my seat between dad and Emmett, blowing a kiss discreetly at Jasper across the table. His response was a big smile that brought out his single dimple, making him look even cuter if that was possible. I shoveled my food down quickly and Jasper got the hint that I wanted him to do the same so we could move to the barn where dad wouldn't be watching us. I was the first one done and went out to get some hay and refill the water buckets for the horses that were in their stalls. I stood outside Dallas's stall, stroking her big, soft nose when a pair of arms slid around my waist and a pair of lips were on my neck. I smiled and leaned into Jasper. Dallas let out an annoyed sounding whinny due to Jasper stealing my attention away from her. I couldn't help but laugh and placed a kiss on her muzzle.

"Don't worry Dallas. You know you're still my number one." I said with a smile. I could feel Jasper's chuckles against my back and turned my head so I could capture his lips with mine. "Morning." I said with a smile.

"Mornin'." He returned the smile, adding a kiss as well.

"Hey love birds. Quit acting like horny teenagers and help us water the fields." Derek called into the barn with a laugh. Jasper chuckled, letting go of me except for my hand and we followed Derek and Justin out to the fields.

Once we were done, we helped out with mucking the stalls and feeding all the horses in the fields. A trailer showed up at around 10 with a few horses that dad had picked up on his last trip. Many people sent new or rehabilitating horses to dad for training. I was put in charge of a beautiful buckskin gelding who was still very green. **(Buckskin in a sandy color with a dark dorsal stripe going along the spine. Green means the horse still needs a LOT of training.).** Thomas got the most difficult horse that had been sent to dad due to problems more on the behavioral side. Cooper got the third which was a grey Arabian mare who'd broken her leg. **(Arabian is one of the many breeds of horses.).** We decided to give the horses a day to or two to get used to their new surroundings before riding them, in which case I'd have Emmett and now Jasper watching over protectively as I rode the unfamiliar horse. As first impressions go, the buckskin I had, Benny seemed pretty calm, but then again he could be totally different when I was on his back. He went out in a field with Major, Grizzly and a few other geldings including Thomas's new project, Sam. Cooper's mare Josie went out with Dakota, Dallas and the other mares.

We went in for a lunch of grilled cheese and soup which went by quickly with a few questions from dad regarding arrangements for the Hampton Classic. We headed back out and I went to grab Dakota for an afternoon workout while Jasper hopped on one of the horses he was helping dad with. While tacking up the horses, he would randomly pull me aside or pin me against the wall, only to kiss me lightly and return to his job. Of course, done repeatedly this was quite a tease. I sighed in frustration from my spot at Dakota's back leg and heard him chuckle from the other side of Cobalt. I stood to look over her back and glared at him, only to see him smirk and bend down to tend to Cobalt's leg. I finished tacking in silence and waited until he was done and we left the barn together, mounting our horses outside and heading into the training ring where –of course- Emmett was waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

**BPOV**

That night, after I was sure everyone had gone to bed, I got courageous and snuck down the stairs and down the hall to Jasper's room. He was sleeping soundly with the most peaceful look on his face. I almost didn't want to disturb him when he looked so childishly innocent. I crept further into the room, closing the door behind me and slowly sat down near his head. Truth is, I hadn't even come to his room expecting anything big to happen, I just couldn't fall asleep and found that I wanted to be near him. I pushed the hair back off his forehead, placing a lingering kiss on his relaxed brow. He shifted in his sleep and I just sat, slowly running my fingers through his messy bed head locks. I smiled softly at the way his single dimple would appear faintly every time he smiled at whatever he was dreaming about. I couldn't help but lean down and kiss the adorable dimple the appeared. Jasper's eyes squeezed shut before blinking open sleepily and settling on me.

"Hey there darlin'." His smile was lazy and filled with sleep. "What are you doin' down here?"

"Just wanted to see you." I said softly. He lifted the covers invitingly and I was pleased to see he slept shirtless with just a pair of basketball shorts. I climbed in next to him, setting at his side with my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around my waist, kissing the top of my head. I lifted my head so my face was level with his and smiled.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Howdy." He whispered back, making me giggle. I leaned in to capture his lips in a slow, relaxed kiss. His tongue met mine in a delicious tantalizing dance. I reached my arms up to wrap around his neck, my fingers weaving through his hair, pulling his face closer to mine. He rolled us so he was hovering above me, his weight being supported by his forearms on either side of my head. I ran my hands down the warm skin of his bare chest, feeling the muscles twitch beneath my fingers. One of his hands came down, tracing my neck, the outside curve of my breast and resting on my hip. His thigh came up, pushing my legs apart so he could settle between them, letting our hips meet. The hand on my hip went a little further down just as his lips disconnected from mine, only to land on the sensitive spot just below my ear. I moaned softly his ear before taking it between my teeth and giving it a playful nip. He grasped the skin of my upper thigh and wrapped my leg around his hip, making our bodies meet at a new angle. I rolled my hips slowly against his, both of us moaning at the feel of his erection pressing against my heated center.

"Oh god." I whispered. He continued to nip at the skin of my neck as one of my hands slid further down his body to cup him through his shorts. I had to say, I was very impressed with what I felt.

"Fuck Bella." He groaned, his head falling to my shoulder and I stroked him over his shorts. His lips began travelling lower the skin exposed by my low cut tank top. He slowly began sliding the straps of my top down when an extra loud snore followed by a grunt came from Emmett's room, breaking us out of our lust induced state and reminding us that we were in a house full of other people. With a sigh, Jasper rolled off of me, pulling me into his side. I kissed his chest softly and he took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together.

"I'm glad you decided to visit." Jasper whispered, placing a kiss on my forehead. We lay like that for a few hours until we could see the first light of the sunrise and I crept back upstairs to my own room.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, I just got into the shower, taking my time to enjoy the feeling of the hot water pounding down on my body, relaxing my muscles. I washed my hair and body, stepping out of the shower and wrapping my fluffy blue towel around me. It was still early so I quickly pulled on some jeans and a maroon tank top before settling on my bed with my iPod. I lost myself in the music and didn't even realize when 6:30 came along and breakfast was ready. I was startled when Felix opened my door slowly with his hand over his eyes. I pulled the buds out of my ear and laughed at him.

"Are you decent?" he asked.

"Yes, you can look." I said with a chuckle.

"Oh don't you look lovely. Breakfast is ready." He said with a smile. I followed him downstairs, blowing Jasper a quick kiss before taking my seat next to daddy and having a plate of French toast placed in front of me.

"Thanks Tommy boy." I said before digging in.

"So Bells, you wanna test Benny out today?" Daddy asked as he took a sip of orange juice.

"Sure. You want me to just do flat work today?"

"Yeah, don't wanna risk too much. Oh and make sure you guys all stay hydrated today. It's supposed to be hotter than hell today." Daddy warned and we all nodded. After breakfast I pulled on my boots and headed out to the barn. Daddy was right, it was only about 7:00 and I could already feel the intense heat from the freshly risen sun. I grabbed a couple of water bottles and went to get Dallas for a quick workout over the jumps to start getting ready for the Classic. She rode well, following my commands precisely and without hesitation; exactly the kind of attitude you want from your horse. After I got her cooled off, untacked and back out in the field, I chugged down two water bottles before going to grab Benny. He seemed okay while I was getting him ready and made no attempt to throw me off once I mounted him. Of course I had Emmett and Jasper right outside of the ring watching me, mostly as over protective men, but serving partly as daddy's eyes since he was checking over one of our injured horses. I walked Benny around the ring a couple times, getting him used to me being on him and Thomas came in with Shadow. He was the most even tempered of all the horses on the farm and we used him a lot when we were training new horses to get them used to being in the ring with others. I urged Benny into a trot and was pleased with the smoothness of his stride and how easily he followed my direction. He would get excited sometimes and speed up or swerve to the side, but he definitely had a lot of potential. I tried cantering him next, though it took a while for him to get his lead and when he finally did I killed my leg muscles trying to keep him going. Cantering was definitely one of his weak spots. I was sweating bullets when we were done and Emmett handed me another water which I downed within seconds. I took my helmet off, throwing my hair up into a messy bun and handed my helmet to Jasper.

"Uh, babe I really think you should keep this on." He said, holding it up to me.

"No way. It's way too hot to have that thing on my head any longer, besides Benny's been perfectly fine and I'm just taking him around the front field a few times to cool him down." I said firmly. They both looked hesitant but stepped back and I walked Benny through the gate into one of the empty fields. I took my feet out of the stirrups, letting my legs relax and stretch my muscles out. I rotated my feet, relieving my ankles from their folded position and relaxed my posture. We walked pleasantly around the field a few times, the intense sun beating down on us.

"Alright Benny boy, one more time around and then it's bath time." I sat, patting his neck affectionately. Just as I put my hand back on the reins, a squirrel scurried out of the tree line that ran along the side of the field, spooking Benny. He reared up and I squeezed my thighs against the saddle, keeping myself in the saddle and not falling to the ground. I had a split second between the time he landed and the time he took off into a full gallop during which I managed to slide one foot into its stirrup. He took off, tearing down the field and I found to gain control over his speed. I was multi-tasking; trying to calm him down, keep balanced with only one foot, and slow him down. Of course his spooking had alerted the birds in the trees and they all took off, making a huge cloud of flapping wings and loud shrieks. This reaction caused Benny to stop short and swing his back half forward, effectively launching me from the saddle. My head caught something, whether it was the fence post, Benny's hoof, or something else and the next second, everything was black.

**JPOV**

The second Bella began walking Benny towards the field; I got the worst feeling in my gut. I looked down at her helmet in my hands and instantly regretted not making her take it. Both Emmett and I watched her walk through the field, relaxing her posture and taking her feet out of the stirrups. This troubled me. Bella may trust Benny, but he was a new horse, at a new barn, with a new rider and he was still green. I began to relax once she'd made it around the field a few times without incident and felt slightly stupid for worrying so much, Bella could handle herself and she was an excellent rider. I immediately wished I could take that back for the next second I watching as Benny reared up, Bella not moving an inch in the saddle. The instant he had all four hooves back on the ground, he took off into a full on, crazed gallop across the field. I watched as Bella struggled with the reins for control over the strong, fast moving horse. I saw a flock of birds shoot out of the trees and Benny stopped short and turned sharply, launching Bella from her seat and she hit the ground hard and stopped moving. The second she hit the ground, Emmett and I were running full speed towards her body.

"BELLA!" we both screamed simultaneously.

"Someone get Charlie!" Emmett's booming voice called over his shoulder as he ran full force towards Bella. We made it to her within minutes; though it felt like hours and I was kneeling at her side so fast it was almost as if I tripped.

"Bella? Bella?!" I shook her gently, trying to get a reaction from her, any at all, but nothing happened. Emmett's eyes were wide with fear and pain and he looked as if he might cry. It seemed as though even Benny missed her as he made his way calmly over to us and nudged her side with his nose.

"Bella? Darlin' get up." I said, desperate for any kind of movement from her.

"BELLA?!" I turned and saw Charlie running rapidly towards us and literally collapsed next to Bella.

"Bells? Come on baby girl wake up. Come on sweetheart." He was alternating between shaking her shoulder and stroking her cheeks and hair. Her eyes remained closed, her face blank, almost peaceful. I could see Thomas standing at the edge of the field on his phone, no doubt calling 911. An ambulance was there within minutes coming to the gate of the field, not being able to go any further. Emmett gently lifted Bella and carried her over to the EMT's. He placed her on the gurney and they lifted it into the ambulance. Charlie immediately jumped in the back and took Bella's hand.

"We'll meet you there Charlie." Emmett said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. He almost sounded broken, or lost. The doors closed and the ambulance pulled out of the farm and towards the more populated area of town. The rest of us were scrambling to get everything else done. Felix grabbed Benny and untacked him, putting him out in the field while the rest of us took care of any horses left in the barn. Thomas ran to the end of the long driveway to put a 'closed' sign over the welcoming sign. We all hopped into trucks, closed the big gates at the front of the farm and sped to the closest hospital which was located in the next town over, approximately 25 minutes away.


	8. AN

**Hey guys, I'm really sorry I know you were all hoping for a new chapter and I'm sorry to disappoint. I hate giving author's notes as much as I hate reading them so just bear with me. I am extremely sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I had no idea junior year was gonna be this stressful and time consuming. Luckily the bulk of my extra curriculars are over for the year so I should have more time to dedicate to you, my loyal readers.**

**I'm really sorry it's been so long especially since some of my stories haven't been updated since the summer. Writers block has been a massive setback for me. I keep getting awesome ideas for new stories, but none for my pre-existing stories. I'm trying to work through it to give you people what you want and I hope you're not too mad at me.**

**xoxo~AthenaRowena**


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